Chapter Thirty
W hen we returned home the elevator stopped at my floor so I could get ready for dinner and greet Claire and Devin when they arrived. Logan held the button, keeping the door closed to kiss me longer. Once I extracted myself from his arms, I practically danced down the breezeway.
I showered and got ready for the evening, then called the girls and my mother while I waited for my company to arrive.
It was almost five o’clock when I heard a knock. Claire and I hugged while Devin carried in their bags for the night.
“Finally! I missed you, woman.” She squeezed me again.
“I’ve been at the beach. Soooo, I haven’t missed you as much.”
“Completely fair.”
I hugged Devin and showed him to my uncle’s room where they would stay for the night and he disappeared inside with the bags to get changed for dinner .
Claire made her way around the living space studying all the changes. “This looks amazing. Gosh, you have been busy. I wasn’t expecting you to be this far along already; it looks like you’re practically finished.”
I smiled to myself. I would confess to having a lot of help after sharing my big news.
Claire turned back to face me and let out a long sigh. I didn’t like the sound of it or the look in her eyes. “Can we sit?” she asked.
I felt like I was on my way to the principal’s office as I followed her to the new sofa. She ran her hand over the soft fabric as she sat down. “This is lovely.”
I settled beside her and waited. I knew her well enough to recognize when she wasn’t happy with me.
“I was at the farmer’s market yesterday.”
I watched her with unease, waiting for her to share whatever point I knew she was getting to.
“And I ran into Alexis.”
My eyes widened and I swallowed. “Well. Shit.”
Claire used her full range of motion to bob her head. “Major. Like Madison owes Claire a spa day for her next birthday major.” Then she grabbed my hands. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”
I felt horrible that she was feeling exactly the emotion I’d been trying to avoid as she looked at me with deep concern.
“I didn’t want to worry you over nothing.”
Now I told her everything I knew about Drew’s release from prison, including my recent conversation with the detective .
When I finished Claire squeezed my hands again. “Okay, great, but you should have told me. I know this has been hard on you, probably more than I understand. Talking about your marriage has always been a struggle for you, and that worries me, but I also respect that it’s your choice to stay silent about it for whatever reasons you have. I wish you would have let me help you with this though. We could have yelled, cursed, and cried about it together. You are my best friend. I love you, Mads.”
I blinked rapidly as Claire hugged me again. There were always emotions involved if we pulled out our high school nicknames. “I love you too, Claire Bear. I’m sorry.”
We both wiped our cheeks when we let go of each other. “I forgive you. This time. Just don’t let it happen again, alright?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I squeezed her hand this time. “There are some things about the past I think I might be ready to talk about.” I let out a hard breath. “We’ll need a long mental health day when I’m back home.”
Claire’s smile was emotional. “I’ll clear my calendar for that in a heartbeat.” Then her demeanor shifted as she started fidgeting with her hands. “Umm, I have another concern to address and might need a little forgiveness of my own. When I was talking to Alexis, before she told me about her dumbass brother, I mentioned I was coming to see you today. That led to some questions from her. Because of my big mouth, she knows you are down here, and Grace and Sadie aren’t with you.” She grimaced. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know what was going on, but that is no excuse for sharing your business, especially with that shrew.”
I chewed my lip. I couldn’t recall ever talking to Drew’s sister about how we usually spent our summers and never even considered it might matter. Everything had been quiet on the Alexis front recently and the conversation with the detective the day prior had put my mind at ease after I’d gotten past my initial reaction. Even if Alexis told Drew what she’d learned, he would be crazy to break parole and try to get to either of the girls just because I wasn’t home.
I shook my head to reassure Claire. “Don’t worry about it. It shouldn’t matter.”
She visibly relaxed. “That’s a relief! Alright, no more depressing talk about He Who Should Not Be Named then please.”
Claire stretched. “How has it been going here?” she asked, then grinned at me, “And by that, I’m totally asking if you have had an opportunity to taste the Golden God again yet.”
I grinned as well but did not say a single word.
“Shut up!” Claire slapped the cushion beside her thigh. “Why am I only now finding this out and what exactly is the ‘this’ I’m finding out!?” she demanded.
“I’m so happy, Claire…” I began, then told her about my new relationship. She smiled and squealed and slapped the sofa cushion repeatedly for several minutes as I filled her in, and then she threw her arms around me again .
I hugged her back gleefully. “I didn’t tell you before because I REALLY wanted to talk to you about it in person.”
“I get it, this is so much better than a phone call!” She sat back and studied me. “You’re practically glowing.” Her mouth shifted into a jealous pout. “That would be thanks to a bunch of hot, new relationship sex?”
My answer was an emphatic nod.
“Eek!” Claire hugged me again. “I’m so excited for you!”
“Oh good, I wasn’t sure,” I teased.
“I want you to be happy so much. This is big, it’s huge!” Claire wiggled her eyebrows at me. “IT is huge, am I right…?”
I burst into laughter as Devin walked back into the room.
“What are you two going on about already?”
“We’re discussing Madison’s hot new man,” Claire told him.
Devin perked up. “Oh, score. Does he golf?”
“Is that all you can ever think about?!” Claire sighed and looked at me again. “Does he?”
“He’s never mentioned it, but he definitely knows his way around a mini golf course. You can ask him at dinner. Oh, I asked him to go to dinner. Is that okay with you guys?”
“Of course!” Claire clapped happily. “Margaritas for everyone!”
Devin and I shared a grimace as we watched her dance her way into the bedroom to get changed.
The three of us stepped off the elevator and headed toward the parking lot. Logan was waiting by the side of the building when we turned the corner and I opened my mouth to greet him.
“Logan!” Claire exclaimed first as she grabbed my arm and quickened her steps to him. “It’s so great to see you again!”
He threw me a perplexed glance then smiled politely at Claire and Devin as he laced his fingers with mine.
“I don’t think you officially met the last time you were here, Claire.” I made the introductions and Claire hugged Logan instead of taking his outstretched hand. He hugged her back like they were old friends which warmed my heart.
We settled on Devin driving; the guys sat in the front and started getting to know each other. Logan did play golf occasionally and they began discussing local courses he liked. Claire rolled her eyes but smiled fondly at the back of her husband’s head.
We caught each other up on our summers as we rode to the restaurant. I asked what plans they had for the 4th.
“We’re going to Knoxville to Devin’s parent’s place since they have the boys already. Is your sister coming down here again?”
“Not this year. Stuart surprised Katherine and the kids with a trip to London. They left on Friday and won’t get home until the ninth.”
“England over Independence Day. That’s a tad funny.”
I shrugged. “Maybe they wanted to give them the finger up close and personal this year. ”
Devin laughed. “Now I have to add that to my bucket list.”
We pulled into The Cabana parking lot a few minutes later. A reggae band was scheduled that evening, so they had won the restaurant toss-up.
Once seated, Logan draped his arm around me in the cozy booth and we continued chatting. Our drinks arrived, and I shared an amused glance with both men as Claire took her first excited sip of margarita.
“Yummy!” she said with approval before eyeing me with trouble-making intent. “So Logan, I heard about how YOU have been redoing Madison’s uncle’s condo. It looks incredible.”
“Oh yeah? It’s nice work,” Devin added.
Logan opened his mouth, but I cut in. “Excuse me, people! What am I invisible here? You do realize he didn’t do it all alone, right?”
“Drinking coffee and pointing at things for him to do isn’t helping, Madison.”
“Just because that is what you do with Devin doesn’t mean it works that way in every relationship, Claire.”
She glared at me with fake outrage, then turned to her husband. “Did you hear what she said to me? Aren’t you going to defend me?”
Devin grinned at her. “From what, the truth?”
Logan squeezed my hand while we laughed. “This one does deserve most of the credit,” he told Claire. “She designed some amazing rooms. That is all her. ”
He lifted my hand to kiss my fingers while Claire and I grinned at each other.
“She definitely enjoys her coffee breaks though…” he added.
I gave him a playful glare. “You. Traitor.”
Claire took another sip of her drink and focused on Logan. “How will you keep my girl here happy when she is away? Are you guys talking about you making trips up to Tennessee during the school year?”
I saw a look of uncertainty in Logan’s eyes and understood the feeling. It wasn’t a conversation we’d really had yet, how to handle the long months we wouldn’t be able to see each other. I squeezed his hand, understanding why it would be too hard for him to make visits to see me.
Logan knew I’d told Claire about his family when I thought they were both gone after Spring Break. We’d discussed it and he was fine with me catching her up.
“Logan has some commitments that make that a bit hard. Claire, remember what I told you in April about…”
Devin and Claire both just stared at me when I finished telling them about Riley.
Claire reacted first and reached across the table to grab Logan’s hand for a comforting squeeze. “Wow… just wow.” She looked at me in wonder. “I’m so happy to hear that, Logan.”
“I golf with a few neurologists back home,” Devin told him. “I can give you their information if you want some new opinions. ”
Logan squeezed Claire’s hand back and looked at them both with gratitude. “That would be great, man. Thanks so much.”
After dinner, we headed down to listen to the band. Claire talked Logan into a round of margaritas with her after I begged off. I grinned as he mouthed ‘You owe me’ over her shoulder before heading to the bar to order them. When he returned, he stood behind me, arms around me as we listened to the music, doing our signature sway since neither of us had any moves for faster-paced music.
Drinks flowed and the evening grew more fun. Logan was hitting it off with my friends. He told jokes, laughed at theirs, and seemed completely comfortable talking about himself as he held my hand or kept me pulled to him with his arm around my shoulder. I loved seeing the relaxed and happy Logan coming out even more in front of others.
Claire and I hit the ladies’ room and she pulled me into a hug once we were through the door. “That man can’t keep his eyes or hands off you! I’m soooo happy.”
I snorted as she leaned on me. “I think you mean soooo tipsy.”
“Maybe a tiny, little, tiddly bit. But I can still see Logan is majorly into you.”
I grinned as she stumbled into a stall. “He does have a history of getting a little handsy when he’s been drinking. ”
When we returned to the bar, Devin and Logan had their heads together so they could hear each other over the music. Logan was talking with a lot of feeling, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. Claire and I were a few steps away when they both threw their heads back and roared with laughter as Devin slapped Logan on the shoulder.
Logan saw I was back and pulled me into his arms for a kiss.
“Devin is trying to talk me into doing shots.” He ran his hands down my back. “He’s already had enough for someone else to need to drive home though.”
There was no way I was putting that responsibility on Laid-Back-Logan tonight, especially since I’d switched to water after my margarita. I laced my fingers around his neck and caught Devin’s eye. “Give me your keys and get your new friend here a whiskey; make sure it’s the top-shelf stuff.”
It wasn’t long before the alcohol had them all thinking they were comedians, especially when they started sharing stories at my expense. Claire told an anecdote about the time I tripped and fell off their boat. Logan shared his nickname for me and they all lost it. I just silently smiled, plotting future revenge on each of them.
It was past midnight when I got them all in the car. They were still being loud and amusing each other while I drove home, Logan sat beside me with his hand on my thigh.
I herded them into the elevator, stopped at the sixth floor, and held my keys out to Devin who had a giddy wife leaning against him .
“I’m going upstairs with Logan. I’ll see you all in the morning.”
Claire pulled her arms from around her husband’s neck and put them around mine with a giggle. “Yeah, you will. Have fuuuuun you two.”
She turned her head and wiggled her eyebrows at Logan and he gave her the slowest, most exaggerated wink I’d ever seen in return.
“Okay, come on, ya lush.” Devin pulled Claire down the breezeway and called back, “Fantastic night guys. Logan, my man, and Crash,” he cackled at the name again, “See ya!”
Logan was leaning against the back of the elevator. He gave a drunken nod and called too loudly, “See you!”
I typed the pin, then went to him and put my hands on his chest. “How are you holding up there?”
“That was lotta fun.”
“I can tell.”
Logan put his fingers in my hair. “Time for more fun,” he murmured against my lips.
I snorted when his forehead fell against mine instead of giving me the kiss he’d intended as his eyelids closed. There was a fifty percent chance we’d only make it to the sofa before he passed out.
I somehow got Logan to his bedroom without incident though. After he stumbled back out of the bathroom, I helped him strip down to his underwear and he climbed on the bed, reaching for me .
“Hold on. I’m going to go get you some water and pills for the morning in case you need them.” When I came back, he was trying to pull off his briefs and I raised an eyebrow. “Silly man, what are you doing?”
Logan managed to get them off one leg before he gave up and settled back on the pillows. “I still want my dessert. I love… dessert.” A half second later, he was snoring softly.
I shook my head with amusement as I went into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I changed into one of Logan’s soft t-shirts in the dressing room before climbing into bed beside him.
I freed his other leg from the piece of clothing as he continued to snore lightly. I yawned as I pulled the covers over us, turned off the lamp, snuggled against him, and fell asleep feeling blissfully happy.